In May 2026, I returned to Kenya for my second humanitarian trip as part of Rams in Kenya, alongside my wife Kim and a team of 80 other wonderful volunteers, led by the amazing Paul Newman from Derby County Community Trust.
Two years ago, we visited Cherish School in the slums of Nakuru for the first time. It was one of the most humbling, emotional and perspective-shifting experiences of my life. Nothing quite prepares you for seeing the reality of daily life for the children and families there, but nothing prepares you for the warmth, gratitude and joy either.
This year, we went back to continue the work we started.
Cherish the Children is more than a school. In incredibly challenging conditions, it is a safe place, a place of hope, and for many children, a place where they receive the only meals they will eat that day. On our first visit, the team helped build a dining hall and kitchen so the children could eat under cover, at tables, in a safer and more dignified space. This year, the focus was on improving the classrooms, learning environment, resources and access around the school.
And it was graft. Proper graft.
Making classrooms safer, brighter and better for learning
One of the biggest projects this time was the renovation of two classrooms.
That meant boarding and painting ceilings to make the rooms safer and more secure. It meant chipping up broken and dusty concrete floors by hand with very basic manual tools so new tiled floors could be laid. It meant repainting the classrooms, refreshing the blackboards, cleaning windows, repainting window frames, washing everything down and getting the rooms ready for the teachers and children to move back in.
We also decorated the classrooms with Kenya flag bunting and a large Kenya flag, adding colour, pride and a real sense of celebration.
It is easy to take a classroom for granted back home. A solid floor, a safe ceiling, clean windows, proper storage, interactive whiteboards and enough light to learn comfortably are just normal. At Cherish, every improvement matters. A safer, cleaner and more comfortable classroom means the children can concentrate better, the teachers can teach more effectively and the whole school feels more settled and secure.
Alongside the classroom work, Team Cherish also built new steps and a ramp to make access to the classrooms safer for both the children and teachers. Again, it sounds simple, but when you see the conditions first hand, these practical changes make a huge difference to daily life.
Books, storage and a new library
Another major part of the trip was improving the resources available to the teachers and pupils.
Our group funded and provided more textbooks, so teachers no longer have to copy everything from one book onto the blackboard before delivering a lesson. The children now have roughly one textbook between two pupils, which is a massive help. It saves valuable teaching time, makes lessons easier to follow and gives the children more independence in their learning.
Thanks to the amazing generosity of our supporters, Kim and I were also able to provide a new library bookcase for the school.
We took a large number of English storybooks and educational books with us, including books kindly provided by Sandra, one of our amazing leaders at Cherish. Together, these helped create a space where children can read during lessons, breaks and lunchtimes.
Rosemarie, another brilliant project lead at Cherish, also funded the purchase of Swahili storybooks. She does incredible work coordinating projects and sourcing the materials and resources we need to support the school, alongside Sandra, David and Keith, who all play such an important role in leading the work at Cherish.
Thanks to this collective effort, the children now have access to books in both English and Swahili. That was really important to us. English gives the children opportunities for their education and future, but Swahili is their native language and part of who they are. The new library gives them access to both.
We also provided new drawers for each classroom, giving teachers somewhere proper to store their resources. It is one of those simple things that can easily be overlooked, but for teachers working in such challenging conditions, having somewhere to keep books, stationery and classroom materials organised makes everyday teaching much easier.
Play, safety and a lot of joy
The work was not just inside the classrooms.
A new slide, funded through a school fundraiser led by Becky, one of our fellow volunteers, was installed for the children. The swings and seesaw were refurbished, and tyres were added to help make the play equipment safer.
Play is such an important part of childhood, and the children absolutely love it. Bubbles and balls were always a massive hit. There was football, dancing, singing, sports day, games, reading and plenty of time just being with them.
Some of my favourite moments were the simplest ones. Reading to the children, listening to them read to me, seeing how proud they were to show what they could do, and watching their faces light up over things we might barely think twice about at home.
The children cherish the time you give them. Not just the donations or the building work, but the attention, encouragement and care.
Learning, letters and links with home
A big part of the trip was also about supporting the teachers and helping to expand the children’s learning experiences.
We provided more resources, helped with arts and crafts, supported classroom activities and continued the link between Cherish and schools back home. Children from schools in Derby had written letters to the children at Cherish, so we were able to take replies back and continue that connection. Kim also did a live video call to both her school Silverhill, and Chloe Paige and Megan Ashleigh's school where the children back home were captivated by what they were seeing.
Those links matter. They help children here at home understand more about life in Kenya, and they show the children at Cherish that people far away are thinking about them, writing to them and caring about their future.
As a teacher, Kim spent a lot of time supporting lessons, modelling activities and working closely with the teachers, which I’m completely in awe of.
Hellen, the headteacher at Cherish, was so keen to make the most of Kim’s skills and experience, and would come straight to Kim each morning to talk about how she could support learning across the different classes. The teachers hugely valued this too, watching, learning and shaping their own lesson planning around the ideas Kim shared.
My focus was more on the construction and physical work, but all of it came together with the same purpose: to give the children and teachers a better environment in which to learn, grow and feel safe.
Celebration day, donation bags, heartbreak and huge smiles
On our final day at Cherish, we held a celebration day, which is always one of the biggest highlights of the trip, but also one of the most emotional, as it marks our last day with the children and staff at the school.
The children were given a special meal including chapatis and chicken, two of their favourites, along with a bottle of pop. These are things they rarely get, so it was a real treat and a lovely way to mark the end of our time together.
We also gave every child a donation bag.
The donation bags themselves were kindly provided by Fluid Ideas, and decorated by the children at Kim’s school, Silverhill. Inside each bag was a new school uniform, pencil cases filled with pencils, socks and pants, a new pair of shoes, toys, sweets, fruit, storybooks and hygiene products including soap, toothpaste and a toothbrush. For the older girls, we also included reusable sanitary products - all kindly provided by donations from our groups supporters.
Donation day is emotional. These are everyday items we often take for granted at home, but at Cherish they are needed, valued and received with such gratitude.
Seeing the children open their bags is joyful and heartbreaking all at once.
The reality of the trip
This kind of trip is challenging in a lot of ways.
It is physically draining. There are long days, heavy work, basic tools, dust, paint, concrete, cement mixed by hand, and constant jobs to finish before the time runs out.
It is emotionally draining too. Seeing the hardship, the conditions in the slums and the difference between life there and life back home is difficult. Leaving the children at the end of the trip is one of the hardest parts. You build relationships, you see their faces every day, you know their names, you hear their stories, and then you have to say goodbye.
But it is also one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done.
Because you see the impact. You see classrooms transformed. You see teachers with better resources. You see children reading books from a new library. You see safer access, better play equipment, full donation bags, fresh uniforms, new shoes and huge smiles.
You see what an amazing group of people can achieve in a short amount of time when everyone pulls together.
Thank you to everyone who supported us
Kim and I are incredibly grateful to everyone who donated, supported, shared, encouraged and helped make this trip possible.
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed through our fundraiser. Every donation, big or small, helped us provide materials, resources, books, uniforms, shoes, hygiene products and practical support that will make a real difference.
I would also like to say a special thank you to the companies who sponsored my t-shirts, one of my main fundraisers:
Fluid Ideas
Coach Hire Comparison
VidiVet
Ark Impact - Wendy Furness
Bertie’s Shirts
Thank you also to Silverhill, the children who decorated the donation bags, everyone who donated books and supplies, and every person who helped us get resources out to Kenya.
It really does take a huge collective effort, and every bit of support matters.
Why we go back
People often ask why we do these trips.
The honest answer is that once you have been, it stays with you.
It changes your perspective. It reminds you how much we have, how much we take for granted and how powerful practical help can be when it is directed in the right way.
Cherish is full of children with energy, personality, humour, talent and potential. The teachers work incredibly hard in conditions that are very different to what we are used to. The wider community faces challenges that can feel overwhelming, but the school is a place of safety, care and opportunity.
That is why we go back.
Not because we can fix everything. We can’t.
But we can help. We can improve things. We can make classrooms safer. We can provide books. We can give teachers better tools. We can give children shoes, uniforms, food, stories, play and time. We can show them that they matter.
And that is more than enough reason to keep going.
Fancy joining the next trip?
If you have been inspired by what you have read, Rams in Kenya 2027 is already being planned.
Since 2012, more than 500 volunteers have taken part in Rams in Kenya, helping to support partner schools in communities in and around the slums of Nakuru. The next open evening is listed for Thursday 16 July 2026 at 7pm at Pride Park Stadium.
I would encourage anyone even slightly interested to find out more, you can register your interest here: Rams in Kenya 2027
It is hard work. It is emotional. It will challenge you.
But it will also give you memories, perspective and a sense of purpose that is very difficult to put into words.
You also build friendships and bonds with other volunteers, many of whom you may never have met otherwise, but who quickly become lifelong friends. There is something about the shared experience, the long days, the emotional moments and the work itself that brings people together. Quite often, you find yourself naturally supporting one another without even thinking about it.
Asante sana to everyone who helped us make this trip happen.
Thank you, from us and from the children of Cherish 🖤❤️💚